Drop 2 Sizes: Week 1 Complete and Metabolic Workout review

It's Monday.

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Just wanted to let you all know that I did my Metabolic Workout!

Lets get down to it.

There are 2 of them:  Timed and Countdown.

I did the Timed one this week.

It is 15 minutes.  Yes, only 15 minutes.  Basically you do a move for 30 seconds and then you rest for 30 seconds.  And in those 30 seconds you are supposed to do as many reps of that move as humanly possible.  So be prepared to push yourself.  You an either half-ass it or go all in.  What kinds of moves you ask?

squats, squat-thrusts, lunges, kettle bell/dumbbell swings, and plank type moves to name a few.

And just so you know I went all in.  And it was a solid workout.  I was sweating, breathing hard and so thankful when it was over.  At one point during the workout she mentions that unless you give it all you got, you won't get all the results you want.

And that was the push I needed.  Because I want results!

There is also a warm-up and foam roll workout included but I did things a little differently.  I did my own standard warm-up and then I chose to do the foam roll AFTER the metabolic workout because there is no cool-down.  BTW, the foam roll is only 5 minutes or so.  I will definitely be adding the foam roll to my cool down from now on.  If you don't have a foam roller, go get one.  I happened to have one from my trek to physical therapy last year.  I believe it was around $20 or so.  I also have a rumble roller but I will definitely be using the foam roller for this one. 

And look here, below is the kind of I have and it's only $15.  Got to love Amazon.

White Foam Roller 6x36 Round

There you have it folks, that's week 1.

And today starts week #2.

Good times.

Jillian Michaels Challenge: Update

Hello internet world.

I'm still doing my Jillian Michaels challenge.  Man, I'm really starting to like her.  I've always been a fan but I'm really loving her DVDs.

Since I'm doing so many different DVDs, I thought I'd review some of the new ones.

Killer Buns and Thighs:  Level 1

The Facts:
This is a 30 minute workout PLUS warm up and cool-down.  You'll need a set of dumbbells and a mat if you're working on a hard surface.  (Actually, the dumbbells aren't desperately needed in this one.  You could get away without using them say, if you were traveling or something.)  This is a circuit workout.  She runs you through a series of moves that, obviously, targets your lower body, you repeat that circuit and then you move on.  She throws in some cardio moves every now and then but this is mainly a strength/toning video.   But you DEFINITELY will be burning some calories.

I burned 362 calories according to my HRM.

I LOVE this DVD.  Mainly because I LOVE working out my legs.  Always have.  But this is also a great workout.  I love the pace, she changes poses quickly but you will definitely feel the burn in all the right places.  If you do this one regularly enough, there is no way your butt won't look amazing.  And I'm just on level 1!

No More Trouble Zones:

The Facts:
The workout is 40 minutes PLUS WU and CD.  Get out your dumbbells and mat for this one.  This is another circuit style workout.  Each circuit targets something up top and something down below.  You'll do a series of moves targeting said muscle groups, repeat the series and then move on to 2 other muscle groups.  I believe you do this for 5 circuits total but I'll have to double check that.  This DVD also is predominantly strength training.

I still need to wear my HRM while doing this to get a count.  But I'll do that soon.  I promise.

I also LOVE this DVD.  Every since I did p90x last year, I've grown very fond of strength training.  So this DVD is right up my alley.  It's called no more trouble zones because she literally hits every zone in your body.  Even if you're short on time and can only do half of it you'll still hit both upper and lower body and get in a good workout.  The only caveat with this one is that there is just one workout.  I plan on keeping it in my rotation sparingly so I won't get sick of it.


6 Week 6 Pack: Level 1

The Facts:
This is a 30 minute workout PLUS WU and CD.  Like Killer Buns and Thighs you need a set of dumbbells and a mat (if on a hard surface) BUT you can definitely do this without the weights.  It's another fast paced routine that targets the abdominal muscles.  But don't think you'll be on the floor the whole time.  She has you doing moves you wouldn't think target the waist but they do.  In addition to my abs being worked, I also felt like my arms and shoulders got a decent (not great) workout due to moves like the plank.  Just holding your body weight up is enough to give them a workout.

Need to do a HRM reading with this as well. 

I very much like this workout.  I'm not going to use the word love yet, but I feel like I MIGHT fall in love with this one too.  I like that the moves are different.  I was a little apprehensive about doing a workout that focused only on getting a 6 pack, but after doing it and seeing how well rounded the moves were, I was definitely up for keeping it in my rotation.  And yes, I definitely think if you do this workout, your waist will shrink.

And now my disclaimer about all 3 videos.  I firmly believe you will get excellent results with these videos.  But only EXCELLENT results if your diet is clean.  And when I say clean I mean just short of perfect clean.  I didn't realize how much more effective workouts were until I changed my eating.  There is a reason she includes menus with most of her DVDs and talks about eating.  It's more than half the battle.  That being said, I imagine you'll get really good results if your diet is still in progress. 

I believe diet is the most important factor of getting a great body and also the hardest element.  It is TOUGH.  So take it a little at a time.  It took me years of trying to get to a point where I was willing to change things.  I had the info, my soul was willing but my brain wasn't on board.  This year, things have fallen into place.  I've made changes that I sincerely hope are lifelong.  And I also hope I keep seeing results.

Mini Progress Report:

I'm about halfway thru week 3 of my 7 week challenge which is kind of like a halfway point so I took some preliminary measurements last night.  I'm down around 6 inches all over.  I also tried on some previously too tight pants/shorts and they seem to be fitting now.  Week 1 was a great week.  I did 4 workouts.  Week 2 was less than stellar - only did 1 workout.  And now I'm on Week 3 with my 3rd workout happening this evening.  I'm pretty happy with the 6 inches considering I feel like I lost a week with Week 2.  No matter, I will push forward.  I'll give a real update next week with pictures and actual measurement numbers after my Whole30 is over.

Ripped in 30: Week 1 / Day 1

After successfully completing the 30 Day Shred Saturday, I decided not to waste any time and the next day I jumped right into:

Ripped in 30:

Yes, another Jillian Michaels program.  Again, I'm a huge fan for a couple of reasons.  

1.  They are NOT time consuming.  The 30 Day Shred workouts clock in at just around 25 minutes and these are just right at the 30 minute mark.  When I did p90x last year, I swear, it felt like my life revolved around working out.  The workouts were a minimum of one hour and up to 90 minutes in length.  That's a lot of time to carve out of an already busy life. 

2.  I really like the 3-2-1 circuit format.  That's 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, 1 minute of abs.  Just when you think you can't do a move for a second longer, BOOM!, she moves on.

3.  I got results with the 30 Day Shred so why mess with a good thing right?

This program differs from the 30 Day Shred in the smallest of ways.  The overall length of the workouts are a bit longer but that's only due to a longer warm-up and cool-down.  And since those are the easiest parts of the workout, it's not noticeable at all.  Also, instead of doing just 2 exercises for the 3 minutes of strength, she now has you doing 3 exercises.  I really like this change as some of those strength poses in the 30DS were grueling and hard to perform properly for so long.  And lastly, instead of doing 3 Levels for 10 days a piece, this one is 5-6 workouts per week with a total of four levels.  It's technically not truly 30 days but you get the picture.

So just a couple of changes but nothing too complicated.

My Day 1 was Sunday and I made just one tweak.  Instead of doing 5-6 workouts per week for 4 weeks, I'm going to perform each level 5-6 times per week for a total of 10 workouts per level.  So my program will actually have 40 workouts total and could actually take me up 8 weeks to finish.

Week 1 / Day 1:

I burned 285 calories according to my HRM.

My initial thought was this is much harder than the 30 Day Shred.  The moves are intense and targeted and I loved them.  I actually had to "march it out" just to catch my breath a few times. She didn't offer as many beginner movements in the exercises.  In fact, she even mentions this.  I didn't mind though.  It's not too hard to figure out how to modify a move if you need to.   It moved just as quickly as the 30DS and before I knew it, I was done.  The next day I had a bit of soreness but nothing I couldn't handle. 

I'm excited to see what kind of results I get out of this one.

As far as eating goes, I'll be continuing to follow my diet of whole foods, no gluten, no soy, no dairy, minimal eggs  (all 4 due to food intolerance) and minimal sugar.  I'll also continue to count my points using Weight Watchers and try to stick to around 215 points per week (I do not eat my Activity Points).

Starting measurements and pics:

Ripped in 30

Day 1:

Chest:  39"
Ribs:    31.75"
Waist:  32.5"
Hips:    40.25"
Belly Button:  34"
Upper Thigh:  22.75"
Leg @ Knee:  17"
Left Arm:  11.5"


Day 1 photos:

Wish me luck!!

30 Day Shred: Day 1

In case you can't tell by the title of this post, I decided to do the 30 day shred as my next workout adventure!

For those that don't know - the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels is a workout program consisting of 3 levels.  Each level is a separate workout (around 20 minutes long each - not bad right??) that you are to do for 10 days.  When those 10 days are up, you move on to the next level until, you guessed it, 30 days have passed.

So tonight I did Day #1 of my level 1 workout.  It took just under 30 minutes total with warm-up and cool-down.  She does a 3-2-1 system.  That means you warm-up, do 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and then 1 minute of abs.  You then repeat the 3 minutes strength/2 minutes cardio/1 minute abs for 3 circuits total and then cool down.

Sounds easy enough right?

After doing Slim in 6 this seemed like a good step up in intensity.  It moves faster so it seems easier but it's not.  You really do work HARD in those 20 some minutes of time.  I will say this, if you don't put in the effort and really try to get the most out of each exercise, then it probably won't seem very hard.  Also, it goes without saying but I'll say it anyways, your food choices will also play a big role in how well this program works.

I chose to make the most of my workout.  According to my HRM I burned around 270 calories for this one workout. 

Not bad for just around 30 minutes.

I even decided to take before pictures so that, hopefully, I"ll be able to see my progress when I'm done.

I also have my starting measurements since I just took them 2 days ago:

Chest:  40"
Ribs:    33"
Waist:  33.5"
Hips:    42"
Belly Button:  34.5"
Upper Thigh:  24"
Leg @ Knee:  18"
Left Arm:  12.25"

I'm really excited for the next couple of weeks to go by.  I had good results with Slim in 6 and now I'm hoping for even better results with the 30 Day Shred.

I'll keep you posted!

p90x Week 12

I'm on week 12.  It doesn't feel like it.  I started it off yesterday with a great day of eating and a great workout.  I had to modify my workout greatly due to my injury BUT I managed to get in a few pushups.  I was so happy that I hadn't lost all my strength.

I also made a discovery last week.  Trying to do Insanity and p90x at the same time just wasn't happening.  It's too much.  So, I'm just replacing my p90x cardio with Insanity workouts this week.  Easy fix.

And my knees are ever so thankful.

Speaking of broken body parts.  I think I have self diagnosed myself.  I am pretty sure my elbow pain is tricep tendonitis.  No, I am not a doctor but I've read a lot about it and I have the symptoms.  I've also read up on the other 5 things it could be.  I'm not too worried about misdiagnosing myself because they all have the same treatment.  I was pretty excited to narrow it down.  Now, if the stupid thing would just hurry up and magically get better.  I have no patience.  It's a fact.  It IS getting ever so slightly better so that's good.

Since it's my last week of round #1 I'm going to level with you about this entire program.  Honestly, it was awesome.  I do not regret a single moment of any of it.  I finished workouts that I never thought I could do.  I gained strength, I gained confidence, and I gained some muscle.  Did I lose all the weight I wanted?  Nope.  In fact, I lost not a single scale pound (so far).  I did lose inches.  And just watching those measurements change over the weeks was extremely encouraging.  The last 30 days were rough and I didn't get out of it what I had intended but that was due to the twists and turns of life.  However, I managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel and keep up the fight.  I've always known strength training was important.  I've read the research on paper, but this is the first time I saw the results first hand.  In fact, I've never been a big fan of strength training.  I was always a cardio girl.  Now, I'm waiting with baited breath for my arm to get completely better so I can get right back into it hard core.  In fact, as soon as this week ends, I'm just going to keep on keeping on.

So, I guess that means Round #2 starts next Monday. 


Today's Menu:
B:  2 eggs + 1 slice ww toast + chicken and apple sausage +
S:  1/2 Protein Bar + Coffee
L:  Cottage Cheese + Apple
S:  1/2 Bagel + Almond Butter + 1/2 Protein Bar
D:  Zucchini + Eggplant + Tomato/Ground Turkey Sauce + WW Angel Hair